Ellmaker

Ellmaker State Wayside is a forested rest area in Lincoln County, Oregon, located along Highway 20 in the Coast Range between the Willamette Valley and the central Oregon coast. The wayside provides a peaceful forest setting for travelers to rest amid towering conifers and lush understory vegetation characteristic of the wet western slope of Oregon's Coast Range.

The Coast Range forest at Ellmaker supports typical western Oregon wildlife including black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels, and various woodpecker species. Songbirds including winter wrens, varied thrushes, and golden-crowned kinglets inhabit the forest. The stream near the wayside provides habitat for cutthroat trout and amphibians.

The forest features mature Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar with a dense understory of sword fern, salal, and Oregon grape. Bigleaf maple and red alder provide the deciduous component. Mosses carpet every surface. The lush vegetation reflects the heavy precipitation this area receives.

The underlying rocks are Eocene-age marine sediments typical of the central Coast Range. Deep, productive soils support the vigorous forest growth. The highway cuts through the formations, occasionally exposing layered sandstones and mudstones.

Ellmaker receives over 80 inches of annual precipitation, with most falling as rain between October and May. The area is one of the wettest along the highway corridor. Summers are warm and relatively dry.

The Coast Range has been traversed by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Highway 20, the Corvallis-to-Newport highway, follows a route that has connected the valley and coast for generations. Logging shaped the landscape throughout the 20th century.

Ellmaker State Wayside was established as a highway rest area, providing travelers a forested stopping point on the cross-Coast Range highway. The wayside is named for a local family.

The wayside offers a forested picnic setting and brief respite from driving. The surrounding Coast Range landscape provides access to hiking and forest recreation.

Ellmaker State Wayside is on Highway 20 between Corvallis and Newport. Parking and picnic facilities are available. Newport and Corvallis provide full visitor services.

The forested setting is maintained to preserve the scenic and ecological character of the highway corridor. The wayside contributes to the green infrastructure of the Coast Range.